It’s a massive crisis … and it’s getting worse.
And instead of addressing and eliminating the root causes, state governments are applying band-aids … and asking for more money for more band-aids.
A total of 552,830 people experienced homelessness on an average night in 2018.
Two-thirds were individuals … one-third were families with children.
The states with the highest rates of homelessness per 10,000 people:
- California
- New York
- Oregon
Those numbers will likely be higher in 2019 because of what’s happening in California – especially in Los Angeles.
In California in 2018, there were 129,972 homeless people on any given night – the highest rate of homelessness of any state in the nation per 10,000 residents.
The vast majority of California’s homeless population are in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
In January 2019, there were 58,936 homeless people in Los Angeles county – a jump of 12% over 2018.
And 36,300 of those were in the city of Los Angeles – a rise of 16% over the previous year.
Among the homeless population in California are these disturbing statistics:
- 10,836 are homeless veterans
- 12,396 are unaccompanied young adults aged 18-24
So, what are the causes of homelessness? And what are the solutions?
The president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles believes the homeless crisis is a housing crisis…
- But will building more apartment complexes solve the underlying causes of homelessness?
A survey conducted in San Francisco revealed the following causes of homelessness in that city:
- Job loss – 26 %
- Alcohol or drugs – 18%
- Eviction – 13%
- Conflicts with friends or family – 12%
And the number one reason why people can’t escape homelessness in San Francisco? The cost of rent, which averages nearly $3,700 per month for a one-bedroom apartment.
When Gavin Newsom – Governor of California – was mayor of San Francisco, he announced that he would solve his city’s homelessness crisis within 10 years…
But 10 years and $1.5 billion later, the city had made no real progress on homelessness – according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles County, $619 million was poured into housing and services for the homeless last year through local tax increases…
Yet the homeless population grew – as reported above – by 16% in the city … and by 12% in the county.
To begin making a dent in the homelessness crisis in major U.S. cities and across the nation, three programs need to be created and funded:
1. Mental illness programs
2. Drug addiction/rehabilitation programs
3. Job training programs
Nonprofit charitable and faith-based organizations are already working to address these historical root causes of homelessness…
But there’s only so much they can do without either government support or massive donations by private citizens – or both.
It’s time for state and local governments to stop wasting millions of tax dollars on providing health care and welfare benefits to illegal aliens … and instead spend those funds on helping veterans and other American citizens overcome the root causes of homelessness.
What do you think? Write me at [email protected]
Here are the rest of this week’s articles: